King Sized

“No chance of that, love,” I say gruffly, my heart rattling around in my ribcage. I bring one of her hands to my mouth, kissing the knuckles. “No chance of that.”

Tonight is a dream and it’s barely begun. But I’m already thinking about the torturous hell arriving in the form of two princes in the morning.

5

Britta

I’m not nervous until we reach the house.

The five voices, belonging to Rex’s sisters, ringing out from within that make my palms sweat. What if they don’t like me? What if I don’t meet their expectations?

I’ve never really had to worry about such a thing before. People liking me. It never really mattered, because either way, I was royalty. But tonight, with my hair loose and wind-tangled, I’m not the queen. I’m a guest at a party. And I will be judged on my character, my personality, not my title.

I very much want Rex’s sisters to like me.

Not only because I’m falling, rather stupidly, in love with their big brother.

But because they are women my own age. Or close. And I’ve never actually had any friends. Only instructors and acquaintances from other kingdoms who I only see once a year during feasts or political summits. Just like everything else, I only came by those associations because of my title. Am I even able to make friends? Do I even know how?

Rex dismounts the horse and we meet eyes for the first time since I…well, since I had my hand in his pants. There are fading red stains on his cheekbones and a wry smile playing around the edges of his mouth. He actually seems kind of bashful over what happened, and my masochistic heart trips all over itself.

Oh dear, I already am in love with this giant guard of mine, aren’t I?

I will serve you any way you allow.

Those words seem to ring between us, pulling us together like gravity. He plucks me off the horse like I weigh less than a feather, holding me to his mighty chest instead of depositing me on the ground. I wrap my arms around his neck and inhale his masculine musk. Sweat and grass and soap. I rub my cheek on his evening whiskers, enjoying the resounding rumble in his throat.

I’ve never had a bond like this with anyone, yet I know instinctively that it’s unique.

This man protects me. He is strong and fearsome and built for battle.

But he relishes being my servant in all ways.

Not just as his profession, but…in a sexual way.

Having all of this brutish strength at my disposal, harnessed by my much smaller hands, is a power I never knew I wanted. Or needed.

But I do.

I need Rexington Monroe.

And if I marry a prince, I don’t think there’s any way I can keep him. Not without disrespecting my marriage or Rex himself. Two things I would never dream of.

“I have an idea,” Rex says against my temple, voice gruff. “Why don’t we banish all worries until tomorrow, my queen?”

“I would like that very much,” I sigh, securing my arms tighter around his neck.

His thumb strums my spine. “You know I would banish them forever for you, if I could.”

“Yes.” I look up. “I do know that.”

Kissing Rex is the most natural thing in the world. It’s the only choice. The only activity I want to perform with my mouth for the rest of my life. If my feet weren’t already dangling down by his knees, I would levitate. He slowly traces the seam of my lips until they part on a breath and then he ducks his head, marrying our mouths together. The pace of the kiss increases until I’m tugging at strands of his hair and Rex is clutching my bottom, his big chest puffing up and down, faster and faster—

A door creaks open.

“Do my eyes deceive me? Rex is here and…he’s brought a girl, if you can believe it. An itty bitty one. Kissing the face right off her, he is. Just there in the side yard!”

A different voice joins in. “What? Where?”

And a third. “A girl? How much do you reckon he paid her?”

Laughter belts out from within the house and I’m suddenly shoved behind Rex’s back, my lips still tingling from the passionate kiss. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that where we could be seen. I got carried away,” he mutters to me over his shoulder. “I’ll make sure they’re discreet.” He looks back at his sisters and I don’t have to see his face to know it’s stern. It’s right there in his voice. “Mind your manners, now.”

“Go on, let us have a look at her.”

“Yes, let us make the acquaintance of the bravest woman in Downsriver.”

Rex sighs. “Katrina, Jane, Beth, Paulina and Priscilla. Allow me to please introduce Her Royal Majesty, Queen Britta.”

A beat passes before five peals of laughter ring out.